The number one cause of patient death during a hospital stay is pneumonia. This disease causes the patient's lungs to fill with fluid. It has been found that turning or rotating a patient, elevating one lung above the other, aids in evacuating this fluid from the patient's lungs. In this way, turning mobilizes the fluid in the bronchial tree, where it can work its way into the esophagus and be expectorated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,007 by Hasty, shows a patient turning device that uses spaced inflatable chambers to turn the patient. Hasty turns the patient by partially inflating the spaced chambers and deflating one of the chambers while inflating the other rolling the patient onto its side. Since the chambers are spaced, the apex of the inflated chamber applies force along or outside the patient's extremities, parallel to the spine, near the shoulder area. Thus, the line of force created by the inflated chamber is placed at a large distance from the patient's spine. In larger patients, the line of force would be located beneath the arm and shoulder, and in smaller patients, the line would be outside the shoulder. Disadvantageously, this force is at least partially absorbed by the movement of the shoulder girdle and shoulder joint.
Specifically, application of force outside the shoulder would cause rotation and flexion of the arm within the shoulder joint. This force would similarly cause movement of the shoulder girdle. The shoulder girdle is made up of the clavicle or collar bone and the scapula or shoulder blade. The clavicle and scapula meet at the acromaclavicular joint. The clavicle extends from this joint and meets the manubrium of the sternum at the sternoclavicular joint. Application of force outside the shoulder or on the shoulder causes protraction or forward movement of the distal end of the clavicle. Protraction is seen as an inward-bowing of the shoulder and torso relative to spine. Since Hasty applies a line of force outside or at the shoulder, the initial application of force is absorbed by this motion of the shoulder joint and shoulder girdle, and as a result, less force is initially transmitted to turning the patient.
Furthermore, the Hasty device does not provide adequate constraint for the patient. One major problem during turning is that the patient will slide while performing the turn. The patient can slide onto the wrong side of the inflatable chamber and possibly off the overlay, or the patient will slide towards the uninflated chamber but away from the apex of the inflated chamber lessening the angle of turn. In Hasty's patent, the space between the inflatable side bolster and the patient allows the patient to slide into this area.
As a further disadvantage, the Hasty device does not adequately allow for various patient sizes. Its outrigger chambers are inflatable chambers forming a part of the overlay. Thus, these chambers cannot be moved inwardly or outwardly depending on the patient's size. Furthermore, inflatable bolsters are prone to leakage. A leaking bolster may not be capable of holding sufficient air to support and contain the patient.
In Hasty and other known devices, there is very little head and calf support. In fact, some known devices cannot operate with a head pad. Without support, the patient's head can hang to one side or the other bending the neck causing discomfort and, in some cases, injury. With respect to the lack of calf support, in the Hasty patent, the patient's heels rest on the overlay or bed. During the turn, the weight distribution will shift to the lower side of the body. Consequently, the lower heel will be subjected to a great deal of force compressing the heel and causing the patient discomfort and, in some cases, pressure sores. Moreover, treatment often requires the patient be held in this position for extended periods. During these periods, the patient's lower heel bears a large portion of the patient's body weight. This constant pressure can result in great discomfort, pressure sores, or other injuries.
Thus, there is a need for an adjustable patient turning device capable of accommodating various sized patients and equipped to turn the patient with reduced initial force absorption. There is a further need for a patient turning device that is more comfortable, provides head support, lifts the patient's heels, and prevents the patient from slipping. There is still a further need for a patient turning device that applies force between the spine and shoulder.